Hi,
Quote:
Originally Posted by mechman600
I used to be a Prius hater. It was because of the Pious owner's notion that they were saving the world by driving one, when in reality they still burn gas and they still pollute.
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I'm pretty sure that most Prius drivers simply want to have the best mileage car they can buy. Is it possible that the idea that Prius owners are largely holier-than-thou is only in the mind of the beholder? Maybe brought on by a guilty conscience, or maybe a little envy? Sure, some Prius drivers may think they don't need to do anything else, but they have done something about reducing the amount of gas they burn through - which is what we all are trying to do, here on EM.
I'm going to go back and read this thread, but I wanted to respond to your post. I think you have already come to a similar conclusion:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mechman600
My tune changed when I realized that in its most basic sense, a Prius is simply an economical, practical car. EPA is 50 combined.
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Yes, it is the most economical car with an engine that you can buy, at the moment.
Edit: the VW XL1 seems like it is a huge leap forward for diesel electric hybrids. And biodiesel if it becomes more widely available would be a very good thing. As I understand it, biodiesel largely eliminates the soot and the sulfur. We need to do more with jatropha, which has a very oily fruit, is drought resistant and grows on marginal land - and it makes excellent diesel.
The highest mileage diesel I know of (before the XL1) is the Smart ForTwo - 700cc 3 cylinder that gets an honest 70MPG+. If the XL1 drivetrain gets used in the VW Up!, it should easily beat that, and might even get ~100-120MPG+.